How did it start
In the words of founder of Project Fresh Start
I have been an advocate for animal rights and social justice for many years and have had a long career as a chef and student of nutrition.
While volunteering in a local food relief centre I noticed a lack of nutritious plant based foods both in supply and demand and wanted to give people a different perspective of plant based foods and how they could be incorporated into the existing services that provide food for disadvantaged community members.
I also wanted to avoid the frustration I saw in people who are forced daily to prove their financial status in order to receive free food and reach the people who needed this service but were too ashamed to ask. I also noticed that people with various dietary requirements could not always get the food they needed that could easily be fulfilled with plant-based meals.
A volunteer I was working with listened to my ideas and encouraged me to start up my own organisation. She helped me to set up Project Fresh Start along with another volunteer who assisted us set up a not for profit incorporated entity so we could start operating. I chose people to join me on the board who are trusted friends and share the same values and who could bring their own experience and ideas to the group.
Project Fresh Start officially started in July 2021, our early ventures included Meat Free Mondays at Community Support Frankston where we supplied the lunches once a week in their lunch program and free Saturday lunches onsite at the Ambassador Apartments. These pilot projects enabled us to observe how our food would be received and to use this feedback to build our current programs.
Our Committe Members
Jolene Gailitis
Founder / President
I have had a long career as a chef and student of nutrition and now work in the homelessness sector. I love how this organisation brings together my values of animal rights, social justice, and environmentalism. I love getting to know all the people in my community and helping to create a space where people can feel safe and welcomed along with all my friends who volunteer or support us in other ways and make this project what it is today. We have lots of exciting plans for the future.
Caroline Hartley
Vice President
Project Fresh Start is dedicated to combating food insecurity by providing free, nutritious plant-based meals and fostering social connections within our community. We strive to remove barriers to health and happiness while promoting sustainable living for individuals, animals, and the planet.
By focusing on plant-based food and education, we enhance health, sustainability, and animal rights, benefiting both individuals and the community as a whole. Our guests often speak about the welcoming environment at our community lunches, highlighting a genuine sense of belonging and inclusion. These opportunities for social connection are vital and mean the world to me.
Food serves as a powerful catalyst for social connection and emotional well-being. I love being involved with this organisation, allowing me to live my values while bringing people together to enjoy delicious plant-based food.
Adam
Treasurer
As an animal activist, I feel it is important to share the actions I have taken to protect animals from harm. The most important of these actions is to embrace plant-based food alongside a message of compassion and community. Project Fresh Start has allowed me to share my passion for animal rights with fostering supportive and inclusive environments. No matter where we have come from or where we are going, we are all welcome at Project Fresh Start.
Shalabh Gupta
Secretary
I joined the Project Fresh Start board because I deeply believe in the power of food to transform lives. Our mission to rescue surplus food and redirect it to those who need it most aligns with my values of sustainability, equity, and community care. I’m passionate about ensuring that nutritious meals reach people who might otherwise go without - because everyone deserves access to good food and the dignity it brings.
Beyond that, I bring administrative support to help the organisation run smoothly and effectively. By strengthening our internal systems, I hope to enable Project Fresh Start to expand its reach and impact, so we can continue building a healthier, more connected society - one meal at a time.
Lauren Forster
Member
Project fresh start organisation means a lot to me because of its mission to provide nutritional food and reducing food waste, to anyone in need of a delicious meal. In my previous career as a youth worker as well as volunteer with church organisations, I provided welfare support with food, clothing and shelter, but I felt the food we were providing, didn't have much nutritional value, which I felt, was a gap in the system. This is where I feel project fresh start is bridging that gap and now we have the community fridges, we are able to provide this food more frequently and reach the people who need it.
Can't wait to see what the future has installed for this fantastic organisation.
Flynn Rigby
Member
Food is everything. From community and culture to essential nourishment, it is the foundation of life – and so can’t be skimped out on. After completing food studies in VCE, I learnt more about the importance of local food systems, in particular maintaining food security. I was drawn to ‘Project Fresh Start’ because it addresses the gap in current systems of food aid, in terms of acceptability and adequacy. Providing plant-based meals and constantly striving to reduce and prevent food wastage help to make healthy meals available and accessible to everyone – and helping the planet as we do it.
It’s an honour and a privilege to be on the Board of PFS, and I am excited to see the future growth of the organisation.
Project Fresh Start - Annual Reports
